July 1986: David Lee Roth Crushes 5150 - by Scott Carr

Since Colin recently stated his case for 5150 being his favorite Van Halen record (check it out here), I thought I would chime in with a few thoughts on Diamond Dave's first proper solo album after leaving the Van Halen ranks and why it is better than anything the VH brothers did without Dave.

Eat 'Em and Smile was released on July 7th, 1986, just four months after Van Halen released 5150, their first to feature Red Rocker Sammy Hagar.

I remember when MTV world premiered Eat 'Em and Smile's first video "Yankee Rose" and I thought to myself, Dave just won this battle with a slam dunk. 

Dave recruited some heavyweight musicians to round out his solo band and he knew he needed some big guns to fill the shoes of his previous band. Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai - best known for his work with Frank Zappa and Alcatrazz - was brought in along with bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Gregg Bissonette.  Replacing a singer is definitely a tough task but Dave had to put together an entire band and he made it seem easy. 

The previous year Roth had released an EP of campy lounge standards, so fans were expecting more of the same from Dave but he delivered a solid album that was a mix of rock, funk and DLR attitude.  I liked 5150 when it came out, but I wasn't completely sold on the new direction of Van Halen. It seemed like America's party band had grown up and it left me a little empty.  With Eat 'Em and Smile Dave let the world know that the party was far from over.

Eat 'Em and Smile is loaded with a healthy dose of classic Van Halen sounding tracks including "Yankee Rose," "Shyboy," "Elephant Gun," "Bump and Grind," "Tobacco Road" and "Goin' Crazy."  Elsewhere on the album you'll find a couple of funkier moments with "Ladies Night In Buffalo" and "Big Trouble." Dave also worked in a couple more lounge standards with "I'm Easy" and "That's Life," both tracks that probably would have worked better on his Crazy From The Heat ep, but the rest of Eat 'Em and Smile is so good that it didn't really matter.  

Eat 'Em and Smile is the total David Lee Roth experience. It rocks and doesn't apologize for it's excesses. I think it's the album that old school Van Halen fans drifted towards more than 5150. Van Halen developed a wider audience with their more mature record but Dave held onto the faithful Van Halen fan base.

The album was a critical and commercial success. It peaked at the No. 4 position on the Billboard charts and Rolling Stone magazine said that none of the songs on Eat 'Em and Smile were as slick as any of the singles from Van Halen's 5150, but it was much more trashy fun. In general most reviews from the time favored Dave's record over the Van Halen brothers.

Unfortunately Dave would not be able to quite recapture the excitement of Eat 'em and Smile with subsequent releases but he definitely won round 1.

If you are looking for some late night entertainment, you should check out the Spanish version of Eat 'Em and Smile, ‘Sonrisa Salvaje’ which translates to "wild smile."  It's actually pretty cool.

Bonus Track - My Ranking Of The Diamond Dave Era Van Halen Records

1. Fair Warning - I saw the mighty Van Halen on this tour and it was pretty amazing. I've always liked this album and it's usually the one I grab when I'm in the mood for some classic VH.

2. Van Halen 1 - You really can't go wrong with this record. It's great front to back.

3. Van Halen II - Pretty much a continuation of the first record. Not quite as good as the first one but "Dancing The Night Away" is a classic and I've always liked "Somebody Get Me A Doctor."

4. Diver Down - What? Yes, I actually like this one more than most people. It gets a bad rap for all the cover songs but I think it holds it's own with the other classic era records. The covers are all pretty cool plus you get "Hang 'Em High," "The Full Bug" and one of my favorite VH songs ever: "Little Guitars".

5. A Different Kind Of Truth - Van Halen had not sounded this good in years and Diamond Dave really delivers.

6. 1984 - I really like 1984 and sometimes it ranks a lot higher on my list of favorites from the band but it suffers from overexposure for me. 

7. Women and Children First - Good record but too much filler.

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH  bands Radio Tramps andReturning April.  Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

Uploaded by Hrk Gat on 2016-08-10.

Goin' Crazy is a single off of David Lee Roth's first full length solo album after Van Halen in 1986. lyrics: Well, here I'm rollin' down another sunny highway, been in the sun too long. I'm goin' coconuts but least I'm goin' my way, I'll prob'bly be here when that sun goes down.

"SONRISA SALVAJE" es la versión en español originalmente del album "Eat ´Em And Smile" del año 1986. : "Yankee Rose" -- "Tímido" (Shyboy) -- 3:40 "Soy Fácil" (I´m easy) -- 7:07 "Noche De Ronda En La Ciudad" (Ladies´ nite in Buffalo) -- 9:27 "¡Loco Del Calor!"

April 13th, 1981, Billy Squier Releases Don't Say No - by Scott Carr

It's a pretty big statement to say someone released a perfect record but on April 13th, 1981, that's what Billy Squier managed to do with his second record Don't Say No.

Don't Say No was released four months before MTV hit the airwaves, and three years before Billy's infamously bad career-ending video for "Rock Me Tonite," a song that oddly enough ended up being his highest-charting US single. 

Don't Say No seemed to blast its way out of nowhere. The lead single "The Stroke" became an instant staple on rock radio and a top twenty hit on the Billboard charts. If you are old enough to remember spending your Saturday afternoons at the roller skating rink, you are very familiar with "The Stroke."

It may seem like Squier was an overnight success, but his rock 'n roll resume stretches back to the mid 70's when he fronted the band Piper. Piper were managed by Rock Steady Management Company, the same team that managed Kiss. Piper released two albums on A&M Records and opened two sold out nights for Kiss at Madison Square Garden. Both Piper records garnered high praise from rock critics but failed to make any waves in the charts. Billy eventually left Piper, signed a solo deal with Capitol Records and released his debut record The Tale of the Tape in 1980. The album featured a minor rock radio hit "You Should Be High Love" but went mostly unnoticed. Billy's fortunes would soon change.

Squier initially asked Queen's Brain May to produce the follow up to Tape, but May was busy with other projects and suggested Billy use Mack as his producer. Mack had produced the most recent chart-topping Queen album The Game. Billy took May's advice and would go on to co-produce the record with Mack.

Don't Say No kicks off in high gear with "In The Dark," highlighted by the thunderous drumming of Bobby Chouinard. Chouinard was the only holdover from Squier's debut album  and he would remain a member of Billy's touring and recording band for several years. "The Stroke" is the album's second track and although the song would eventually become overplayed, it's easy to see why it became an instant radio hit. "My Kind Of Lover" continues the what seems to be effortless flow of hits. Side one closes with two uptempo rockers, "You Know What I Like" and "Two Daze Gone." Both songs have a great live energy.

If you were thinking that they purposely loaded up side one with all the hits and strong material, you'd be wrong. Side two picks up right were side one left off. The opening guitar riff of "Lonely Is The Night" is one of those signature riffs that instantly grabs you. The song became a big radio hit and is still a staple on classic rock radio stations. Halfway through the albums second side Squier takes his first breather with the dramtic ballad "Nobody Knows," a song he mostly sings in a high falcetto voice. "Nobody Knows" is the perfect counter balance to everything that preceded it on the record and is a standout track. "I Need You" is another mid-tempo track but a bit more bouncy and upbeat than "Nobody Knows." The album closes with the title track "Don't Say Know" and it leaves you feeling very satisfied but also wishing there was more.

Don't Say No went all the way to No. 5 in the Billboard charts and would remain on the charts for a solid two years after its release, selling more than 4 million copies in the US. It spawned two top forty hits with "The Stroke" and "In The Dark" along with "My Kind Of Lover" and "Lonely Is The Night" being big rock radio hits. When MTV launched in August of 1981 Squier became a fast favorite on the station and this exposure pushed the album to even greater heights. MTV ran a concert from the Don't Say No tour called Live In The Dark and it captured Billy and his band at their best. All the videos from the album were also in heavy rotation. At the end of 1981 Billy filmed a Christmas themed video at the MTV studios with cast and crew from the station. He was one of the early faces of MTV.

The impact of Don't Say No on the rock world is widely known and well-documented, but you may not be aware of Squier's influence in the world of Rap music. His debut album featured a song called "The Big Beat" and it has been sampled over 200 times by artists like Jay Z, Kanye West, Ice Cube, A Tribe Called Quest, Alicia Keys, and Run DMC. To a lesser degree "The Stroke" from Don't Say No has been sampled by Eminem and Nas. Eminem has also sampled "My Kind Of Lover."

It's unfortunate that when you mention Billy Squier these days people seem to remember that career-ending video for "Rock Me Tonite," that I mentioned earlier in this piece. They forget that making a record is no easy task and in my opinion, Don't Say No is flawless and has stood the test of time. I think that speaks for itself.

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH  bands Radio Tramps and Returning April.  Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

Billy Squier - Full Concert Recorded Live: 11/20/1981 - Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (Santa Monica, CA) More Billy Squier at Music Vault: http://www.musicvault.com Subscribe to Music Vault: http://goo.gl/DUzpUF Setlist: 0:00:00 - In The Dark 0:04:18 - Rich Kid 0:09:15 - My Kinda Lover 0:13:29 - Whadda You Want From Me 0:18:01 - Lonely Is The Night 0:25:54 - Young Girls 0:30:01 - I Need You 0:36:05 - The Stroke 0:39:42 - You Should Be High 0:46:12 - Too Daze Gone 0:53:43 - Extended Applause 0:54:12 - Big Beat 0:58:48 - You Know What I Like

Shot along with "In The Dark" and "My Kinda Lover", "The Stroke" is one of Billy's signature performance videos from "Don't Say No."

In The Dark by Billy Squier.

No Copyright Infringement Intended Radio: Los Santos Rock Radio Artist: Billy Squier Song: Lonely Is the Night http://www.tugaming.net (Portuguese) http://www.youtube.com/tugamingoficial

Title: My Kinda Lover (track 03) Artist: Billy Squier Album: Don't Say No Year: 1981 Label: Capitol Writer(s): Billy Squier Lyrics: You got me runnin' baby - You give me somethin' way beyond revenue You put the magic in me - I feel the magic when we do what we do And oh...

dedicated to John Lennon I may get around...i may laugh alot... Now youd think that Id be happy with the life I got Nobody knows...nobody sees Aint nobody really knows the inner side ome... I may seem secure...i could have it made...

i need you by Squier off of Don't Say No.

1984 Glam Metal Smack Down: The West Coast Vs. The East Coast - by Scott Carr

1984 Glam Metal Smack Down - The West Coast vs. The East Coast

1984 was a banner year for the genre of Glam Metal. Glam Metal defined the decade of the 1980's, and 1984 was possibly one of its biggest years.

The previous year had seen Quiet Riot top the charts with their breakthrough album Metal Health. Metal Health was the first ever heavy metal albums to hit number one on the Billboard album charts and would go on to sell more than six million copies. The success of that record opened the flood gates for Glam Metal.

The Glam Metal scene of the 80's is closely associated with LA's Sunset Strip, which produced a long list of bands including Motley Crue, WASP, LA Guns, Dokken and countless others. While Los Angeles could be dubbed the Seattle of the 80's, it did not solely account for all the action. The East Coast also had its fair share of glam bands: Cinderella, Britny Fox, Skid Row, Kix and  Bon Jovi are just a few that come to mind.

Taking all of that into account, I thought I would lay out some arguments for two albums that came out in 1984 that had major chart success and let the masses decide which one is the champ. If not the masses at least the Pencilstorm.com loyalists can weigh in.

First up from the West Coast we have Ratt with their full length debut album Out of the Cellar. 

Ratt formed in San Diego and their history stretches back to 1973. After numerous name and lineup changes Ratt officially appeared on the scene in August of 1983 with their independently released self-titled EP. The success of this EP landed the band a major label deal with Atlantic Records and the band quickly began work on their debut full length album.

Out of the Cellar was released on March 23, 1984 and was an instant hit on MTV and radio. The album's first single "Round and Round" peaked at No. 12 in the Billboard singles chart and proved to be the biggest single of the band's career. The video for "Round and Round" featured a cameo from comedian Milton Bearle, who was the uncle of Ratt's manager Marshall Bearle. As for the rest of the record it was loaded with catchy guitar riffs from Warren DeMartini and raspy lead vocals from Stephen Pearcy. I always thought of Ratt as a new breed of Aerosmith. They had all the typical trappings of the era but with an underlying blues rock thing that kind of made them different from the rest of the pack. "Wanted Man" and "Lack of Communication" were also released as singles but did not chart as high as "Round and Round." The videos for "Wanted Man" and "Back For More" received heavy rotation on MTV.

Ratt would continue to have moderate hits with their next few records and became a huge concert draw but never quite matched the success of their debut album.

Currently Ratt is touring with only one original member, drummer Bobby Blotzer.  Dude must need the cash.

 Out of the Cellar Stats:

Triple Platinum (over 3 Million units sold)

Peak Chart Position on Billboard Charts - #7

"Round and Round" #12 on Billboard Hot 100

"Wanted Man" #87 on Billboard Hot 100

Future Whitesnake video vixen Tawny Kitaen appeared on the Out of the Cellar cover

 From the East Coast we have Twisted Sister with their third full length release Stay Hungry.

Twisted Sister come from the streets of Long Island, NY and like Ratt their history goes back well over a decade. The band was formed in 1973 by guitarist Jay Jay French but it would take several years before the band would find the right combination of players to create the Twisted Sister that became a worldwide success. With the addition of lead singer Dee Snider in 1976 the band soon become a huge live draw and released two singles on their own label. Although the band became very popular in the New York Tri-State area, they could not get a record deal. The band eventually signed with Secret Records, an indie punk label out of the UK. Secret Records released the band's first EP Rough Cutts and debut album Under the Blade. Although both releases brought the band great success in the UK, Secret Records would go out of business by 1983 and the band was again without a label. Atlantic Records quickly signed the band and released their next album You Can't Stop Rock 'N Roll in June of 1983.

Stay Hungry was released on May 10, 1984 and would bring the band a whole new legion of die-hard fans. As with Ratt, MTV once again proved to be vital in the commercial success of Twisted Sister. The videos for "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" both featured a cameo from Mark Metcalf, best known for his work in Animal House as Doug Niedermeyer. Metcalf channels his best Doug Niedermeyer for both videos and ask "What do you wanna do with your life?" and of course the appropriate response to that question is always gonna be "I Wanna Rock."  Both videos became staples in MTV's daily line-up and Dee Snider became one of the most recognizable front men in rock and roll. Twisted Sisters image was more on the cartoonish side of glam metal and that would eventually work against them. A couple more albums followed Stay Hungry but Twisted Sister would never repeat the success they had in 1984.

Twisted Sister are currently in the midst of playing some farewell shows and promoting their career spanning documentary We Are Twisted F***ing Sister.

 Stay Hungry Stats

Triple Platinum (over 3 Million units sold)

Peak Chat Position on Billboard Album Charts - #15

"We're Not Gonna Take It" #21 on Billboard Hot 100

"I Wanna Rock" #68 on Billboard Hot 100

 Now the big question, which one of these Glam Metal icons should reign as the top dog of 1984? Looking at the stats they are very close in terms of sales, so it cannot be judged on sales alone. Overall Ratt had a higher chart position for their record and singles, but does that make them the champs? Twisted Sister tagged their ravenous fan base with the moniker "SMF's" which stood for 'Sick Mother F******". While Ratt called their form of Glam Metal "Ratt 'N Roll." So, is it the "SMF's" or the "Ratt 'N Rollers"? Dee Snider went to bat for the whole genre of Heavy Metal when he spoke at a Senate hearing where the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) was trying to censor music, so maybe his band wins,  because that was epic.

Below are some links that may help crown a winner in this battle. In the end both bands had a great 1984 and obviously there was enough room in the marketplace for both, but now is the time to decide which has stood the test of time.

Let the music do the talking.......

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH  bands Radio Tramps andReturning April.  Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

1 - You Think You're Tough 2 - You're In Trouble 3 - The Morning After 4 - Round And Round Show Louco de Fudido

Watch the official video for Ratt's "Round and Round" released as a single in 1984. It proved to be the biggest hit of Ratt's career. The song was named one of "VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's" and was named one of the best hard rock song of all time also by VH1.

Featured on the "ratt & roll" album

Uploaded by gene scott on 2014-03-23.

Description

Live in Auckland, New Zealand 1985. Pro-Shot!!! You Can't Stop Rock N' Roll Knife In The Back Stay Hungry We're Gonna Make It We're Not Gonna Take It Burn In Hell The Kids Are Back I Wanna Rock

Subscribe to INDIE & FILM FESTIVALS: http://bit.ly/1wbkfYg Subscribe to TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/sxaw6h Subscribe to COMING SOON: http://bit.ly/H2vZUn Like us on FACEBOOK: http://goo.gl/dHs73 Follow us on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/1ghOWmt We Are Twisted F***ing Sister! Official Trailer 1 (2016) - Documentary HD They were the Grand Funk of Glam and the NY Dolls of Metal.

Watch the official music video for Twisted Sister -- We're Not Gonna Take it [Extended Version]

Watch the official video for Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock" "I Wanna Rock" is from the album Stay Hungry (1984). In 2009 it was named the 17th VH1 Greatest Hard Rock Songs by VH1.

Twisted Sister - The Price Watch the official video for Twisted Sister's "The Price." Twisted Sister was formed in Long Island and sppeared on VH1's 100 greatest artists of hard rock. Download the greatest hits at iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stay-hungry-25th-anniversary/id320268623 For more info, go to: http://www.twistedsister.com/

Christmas Music, Pencilstorm-Style, part one: Christmas Is The Time To Say "I Love You" - by Scott Carr

Today begins Pencilstorm's contributors' take on Holiday Music: various of our regular scribes will be presenting their choices of their favorite Christmas tunes, along with a (hopefully) heartwarming Christmas memory to go along with their choice.  (We don't know exactly which contributors, because nobody seems to know how to meet a friggin' deadline around here, and the egg nog is flowing a little more freely around the offices than we might like, if you get my drift.)  (Even Ricki C. has been dumping Southern Comfort in the punch-bowl, and we didn't even think he DRANK anymore.)  Anyway: here's part one - Scott Carr's take on Billy Squier. 

When Colin G. asked the Pencil Storm staff to write a little something about a favorite Christmas memory and tag it with a song, many ideas went through my mind, as Christmas is my favorite time of year and there are a lot of great memories to choose from.

I narrowed it down to the Christmas of 1981. That was the Christmas that I got my first real guitar. My parents bought me a Gibson RD Artist and it was a total surprise to me. I had been desperately wanting this guitar and would make regular visits to the local music store and stare at it for what must have been hours. My mom told me that they couldn't afford to get me a guitar that year because they were buying my older brother Tim a Gibson Les Paul.  Tim was six years older than me, was beginning to play clubs and my parents felt like he really needed a nice guitar. Plus he had proved that he was dedicated to his instrument and was going to stick with it. Although I was disappointed, I was really happy that my big brother was getting a kick- ass guitar, that he might occasionally let me play. The thing I didn't know was that my mother was being really sneaky and had told my brother the same story: that he wasn't getting a guitar that year because he already had a decent guitar and I didn't have one at all, so they were getting me that glorious Gibson RD Artist. We were both sworn to secrecy to not tell. So we were both a little disappointed but excited to know that the other was getting a new guitar. In the end we both got new guitars, mom's plan worked beautifully.

So, that ranks as the coolest Christmas memory ever for me. 

1981 was also the year that MTV premiered and I think we were the first house on the street to get it. I was obsessed with MTV when we first got it. I couldn't wait to get home from school everyday, turn on the TV and watch hours of music videos. And this was back when all they showed was music videos, if you can believe there was such a time. That December MTV premiered the Billy Squier video for "Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You" and it featured the whole cast and crew from MTV along with Billy having a jolly good time in the MTV studio. Squier's Don't Say No album had been released earlier that year and "Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love you" was the B-side of the album's fourth single "My Kinda Lover." The song would later be released as an A-side with "White Christmas" on the B-side. Don't Say No was one of my favorite albums of 1981 and Squier's Christmas tune instantly clicked with me. I generally love Christmas songs that rock and Squier delivered one that did just that. Every time I hear "Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You" I am instantly transported back to 1981 and it brings back the memories of what I would say was the best Christmas ever.....

Check out the video below..........hey.....did anyone notice J.J. Jackson is wearing a Cheap Trick T-shirt?!?!?!!!!

                                      Me with the glorious Gibson RD Artist.

resized

This classic 1981 MTV ident was animated by Manhattan Design.